Soils and climate change

Beneath the surface, soils act as both a witness and a regulator of the Earth’s changing climate.

Healthy soils are a powerful ally in the fight against climate change. They regulate the Earth’s temperature, absorb greenhouse gases, and influence the stability of ecosystems across the globe. Yet they are also deeply vulnerable to the very changes they help to mitigate.

One of soil’s most critical roles lies in carbon sequestration. Globally, soils store an immense amount of organic carbon; more than 1,417 billion tonnes in the first meter and 716 billion tonnes in the top 30 centimeters alone. This makes soil one of the largest natural carbon reservoirs on Earth, helping to offset greenhouse gas emissions and stabilize the climate.

But as the planet warms, soils themselves face mounting threats. Rising global temperatures accelerate the melting of Arctic Sea ice, which in turn drives sea level rise. Higher seas lead to the inundation of coastal areas and intrusion of seawater into soil and groundwater, causing salinization that degrades soil health and reduces its ability to sustain life.

Climate also directly shapes the formation of soils. Heavy rains and floods give rise to alluvial soils, rich and fertile deposits carried by water. In contrast, wind erosion sculpts eolian soils in deserts, where the movement of sand and dust creates stark, fragile landscapes. In this way, climate and soil are locked in a continuous cycle of cause and effect, each shaping and responding to the other.

Soils are therefore more than a passive surface beneath our feet; they are an active player in the Earth’s climate system. Protecting them means safeguarding one of the planet’s most valuable natural levers for resilience, stability, and hope in the face of global change.